


Conspiracy

by Kit_SummerIsle



Series: Cybertronian Advent Calendar [6]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Accidents, Advent Calendar, Conspiracy, Day Off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 08:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit_SummerIsle/pseuds/Kit_SummerIsle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Advent calendar day 9 - prompt: day off<br/>Optimus Prime is a busy mech. Starscream too. Do they have enough time for each other?<br/>G1-ish, post-war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conspiracy

Optimus Prime was a patient mech. He’s weathered murderous Decepticons, irate medics, incessantly pranking frontliners, excentric and glitching officers and of course he could deal with Starscream to the satisfaction of both of them and to the surprise of everyone else. But bureaucracy was trying even his legendary calm more than once and increasingly lately. The rebuilding of Cybertron and the management of former Autobots, Decepticons and Neutrals was a complex problem, he knew and accepted it. What he didn’t expect was why some mechs would want to make it even harder by insisting on endless meetings and three-way negotiations over the smallest details.

After the cease-fire, he could understand the mutual mistrust and even the want for every mech to know everything and the multitude of checks and balances they insisted on, even though it made functioning difficult. But as time went by and even the most hardliner Decepticons and Autobots could coexist, those measures started to stifle the actual working of the system. Lately it became so bad that Optimus started his orns barely with the new sun rising over the horizon and finished well after it set. 

And what was he doing? Something worthwhile, something actually resulting in actions? Noooo, he was mediating and negotiating and trying to convince obstinate mechs that any small detail in the Kaon works were not going to hurt Iacon’s interests and vice versa. It was as annoying as it usually turned out to be unsuccessful and stopped the efforts in both cities until the matter would be cleared up – requiring tons of new meetings, reports and endless talking.

And he saw Starscream far-far less than he’d wish for, he’d want for and the Seeker would need. He went back to sciences after the war and he was just as busy with the more physical aspects of the rebuilding as the Prime himself. Optimus sometimes envied the Seeker for doing some actual work that he could see the results of, unlike himself. But it was still filling him with an aching sadness when they hurriedly meet over the evening energon, generally not even having the energy for some berth-play before recharge – and in the morning they kissed briefly and went their way. It was sad.

-o-o-o-

Starscream knew that Optimus was increasingly annoyed by the fruitless and endless talks of the numerous and overblown bodies that made up their new government. Himself was hardly any better – trying to manage actual work while solving the issues that were joorly raised between Perceptor and Shockwave or Ratchet and Hook – since medicine was included in sciences by the bureaucrats, making the famous Autobot medic his subordinate, to the mirth of everyone and Starscream had to deal with his temper.

Ohh, and let no mech forget Wheeljack’s tendency to – still! – make his labs or equipment blow up every decaorn and Skyfire’s good-natured grumbling about exploration taking a backseat and that he was no taxi. Privately Starscream completely agreed with the shuttle – he’d’ve preferred any deep-space mission to the manager-clerk-accountant-negotiator he had to become lately. Pits, he hasn’t seen his own experiments for the last several orns!

The idiots on some council or whatnot still thought that Seekers were energon-thirsty war machines who would destroy their cities if not checked and the energon crisis was still dire; and so they had to file flight plans for every single journey, and give the cause for the flight too. The idiots just couldn’t understand – or didn’t want to – that fliers needed to fly as naturally as grounders needed to drive. His Trine was particularly grumbling about it, Skywarp quite vocally so. 

And on top of everything Optimus was barely in their home for a quick recharge and left before Starscream fully onlined, leaving their bonded life to nothing really. Not that he was much for talking, but his libido was simply not satisfied with the rare interface that they could manage – even though he too was usually too tired by the time they got home. 

-o-o-o-

The liquid that flooded the whole science building was basically harmless to mechs and surprisingly to the equipments too. It was just abysmally bad smelling, like rotten organic matter mixed with stale, burnt oil and made every mech’s tanks roil with disgust. The science staff was milling around on the square in front of the building aimlessly, Wheeljack apologizing profusely and the reaction to the smell temporarily unifying the usually squabbling mechs, while some heavy-duty cleaning equipment could be brought.

Starscream was completely fed up by midday and it would take another orn to clear the building and neutralize the smell, but it took another joor and Prowl coming over and ordering everyone home for an orn off. The concept was distasteful for the active Seeker, until he arrived home and surprisingly found Optimus at home too.

“What happened? It’s unlike you to just leave them?”

Optimus smiled a bit confusedly but glad to see his Seeker for once.

“I’m not sure… but I gathered that the dispensers in the government building were producing tainted energon yesterorn which made all officials and bureaucrats develop something called hives. Apparently it is more embarrassing than dangerous, so Prowl had everyone take an orn off until it clears. It is fortunate that Jazz brought me some batch to try he made last orn so I wasn’t affected.”

Starscream smirked and put two and two together. Wheeljack going to drink with Jazz a few orns before and Ratchet joining them. Jazz, the only officer actively criticizing the busy schedule of the Prime and knowing the troubles in the labs as well – and being still an item with Prowl. The curious incidents not harming any mech but hitting them the same time so they would all be forced to take an orn off. And Starscream knew just what he was going to do with the free time together. He drew the unresisting Prime to him.

“Now… you’ll stop thinking about those things which will solve themselves. We’ll have time together and I won’t have you wasting a single klik of it!”

It was almost visible as Optimus Prime directed his thought process from work and worries to his bondmate and the concept of _free time together_. In a klik Starscream’s wings flared happily and Optimus retracted the mask he still wore, smiling widely and eagerly embracing the Seeker.

“I promise you that I won’t.”


End file.
